The EITC is a tax benefit for working people who earn lower or moderate incomes. The credit offsets taxes, supplements very low wages, and encourages work.

EITC Estimator (Tax Year 2019)

Filing Status:

Number of Children:

Household Earnings:

$

Your EITC: $

Choose the option that best describes your household by marital status and number of children.

All information on this site is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. The Center on Budget & Policy Priorities is not liable for how you use this information. Please seek a tax professional for personal tax advice.

What is the EITC?

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) provides relief for some workers at tax time. If you qualify, the tax credit lowers the amount of taxes you are required to pay. It is refundable, which means that if the credit is worth more than you owe, you get the rest of the money back in your tax refund.

Am I eligible?

There are three main eligibility requirements to claim the EITC. The first is that you work and earn income. This can be from wages, salary, tips, employer-based disability, self-employment income, military pay, or union strike benefits. The second requirement is that you don’t make over a certain amount of money, which you can check with the estimator above. The third requirement is to have social security numbers that permit work for you, your spouse, and any children claimed on your tax return. See our eligibility chart for more details.

How do I claim the EITC?

To claim the EITC, workers with children must file either form 1040 or 1040A and submit the Schedule EIC. Workers without children can file any tax form, including Form 1040EZ, and do not need to complete the Schedule EIC.

Do you know how much your EITC is worth?

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Get It Back Campaign

The Get It Back Campaign helps eligible workers claim tax credits and use free tax filing assistance to maximize tax time. A project of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Campaign partners with community organizations, businesses, government agencies, and financial institutions to conduct outreach nationally. For 30 years, these partnerships have connected lower and moderate-income workers to tax benefits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the Child Tax Credit (CTC), and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).

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